EPILOGUE
by Wilkie Collins
**The Finding of the Diamond**
**I**
**The Statement of Sergeant Cuffâs Man** (1849)
On June 27th, I received instructions from Sergeant Cuff to follow three men suspected of murder, described as Indians. They had been seen that morning at Tower Wharf, boarding a steamer headed for Rotterdam.
I left London the next day on a different steamer, which departed on Thursday, June 28th. Once I arrived in Rotterdam, I managed to locate the captain of the Wednesdayâs steamer. He confirmed that the Indians had indeed been passengers on his ship, but only as far as Gravesend. Just off that location, one of the three had asked when they would reach Calais. When informed that the steamer was actually going to Rotterdam, the spokesperson for the group expressed shock and distress over their mistake. He said they were all willing to forfeit their fare if the captain would just let them off the ship. Feeling sympathy for them as foreigners in an unfamiliar place, and seeing no reason to keep them on board, the captain signaled for a boat, and the three men disembarked.
It was clear that the Indians had planned this move in advance to avoid being tracked. I wasted no time returning to England. I got off the steamer at Gravesend and learned that the Indians had traveled from there to London. From London, I traced them to Plymouth. Inquiries at Plymouth revealed that they had set sail forty-eight hours earlier on the _Bewley Castle_, an East Indiaman bound directly for Bombay.
Upon receiving this information, Sergeant Cuff contacted the authorities in Bombay to ensure the police would board the ship as soon as it arrived. Once that step was taken, my involvement in the case ended. I havenât heard anything more since.
**II**
**The Statement of the Captain** (1849)
Sergeant Cuff has asked me to document certain facts regarding three men, believed to be Hindoos, who were passengers last summer on the ship _Bewley Castle_, which I commanded on its direct voyage to Bombay.
The Hindoos boarded the ship in Plymouth. During the journey, I didnât receive any complaints about their behavior. They were assigned to the forward part of the vessel, and I had limited interactions with them.
Towards the end of the voyage, we encountered a frustrating calm that lasted three days and nights off the coast of India. I donât have the shipâs log to refer to, so I canât recall the exact latitude and longitude. All I can say is that the currents pulled us closer to the land, and once the wind picked up again, we reached port within twenty-four hours.
As anyone familiar with sea travel knows, discipline tends to slip during a prolonged calm. My ship was no exception. Some passengers took advantage of the situation, lowering the smaller boats to row around and swim when the evening sun cooled down enough for them to enjoy it. Instead of hoisting the boats back up after using them, they were left tied to the shipâs side. With the heat and the frustration of the weather, neither the officers nor the crew seemed motivated to fulfill their duties during the calm.
On the third night, nothing unusual was reported by the watch on deck. However, when morning came, the smallest boat was missing, and soon after, the three Hindoos were reported missing as well.
If those men had stolen the boat shortly after dark, which I firmly believe they did, we were close enough to the land that it would have been pointless to pursue them once we realized they were gone. Iâm certain they made it ashore in that calm weather, despite any fatigue or clumsy rowing, before dawn.
When we reached port, I learned for the first time why these passengers had seized their chance to escape the ship. I could only relay the same information to the authorities that Iâve shared here. They held me accountable for allowing the shipâs discipline to slip. I expressed my regret to them and to my owners.
Since then, to my knowledge, nothing has been heard of the three Hindoos. I have no further information to add to this account.